Device for applying strapping material to round packages or the like

ABSTRACT

A device for strapping round packages, according to which a predetermined section of a strap is advanced into an adjustable strap guide while the latter is in its starting position, whereupon the strap guide is moved into contact with the circumference of the package to be strapped and an additional strap section is passed through the strap guide so that the strap extends completely around the package to be strapped. The strap around the package is then tightened and sealed. The strap guide comprises a plurality of segments pivotable relative to each other.

United States Patent [191 Biihne DEVICE FOR APPLYING STRAPPING MATERIAL TO ROUND PACKAGES OR THE LIKE [75] Inventor: Gerd B'lihne, Schwelm, Germany [73] Assignee: Titan Verpackungssysteme GmbH,

Schwelm, Germany [22] Filed: Apr. 30, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 465,542

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 335,828, Feb. 26, 1973, Pat. No.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 26, 1972 Germany 2209120 [52] US. Cl. 100/25 [51] Int. Cl. B65B 13/04 [58] Field of Search 100/7, 2, 25

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,010,386 11/1961 Sinclair et al 100/25 Dec. 9, 1975 3,182,586 5/1965 Armington et a1 100/25 X 3,213,781 lO/l965 Collins et a1. 100/25 UX 3,493,018 2/1970 Otto IOU/25 UX Primary Examiner-Billy J. Wilhite Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Walter Becker 57 ABSTRACT A device for strapping round packages, according to which a predetermined section of a strap is advanced into an adjustable strap guide while the latter is in its starting position, whereupon the strap guide is moved into contact with the circumference of the package to be strapped and an additional strap section is passed through the strap guide so that the strap extends completely around the package to be strapped. The strap around the package is then tightened and sealed. The strap guide comprises a plurality of segments pivotable relative to each other.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 9 1975 Sheet 1 0f 2 3,924,526

U.S. Patent Dec. 9 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,924,526

DEVICE FOR APPLYING STRAPPING MATERIAL TO ROUND PACKAGES OR THE LIKE This is a divisional application based upon parent Ser. No. 335,828 Biinn'e filed Feb. 26, 1973, now US. Pat. No. 3,867,878 issued Feb. 25, 1975.

The present invention relates to a device for applying 2 FIG. 2A shows an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of FIG. 2 illustrating spring means to bias lever means.

The present invention is characterized primarily in 5 that the strap is advanced by a predetermined length in strapping material to round packages or the like, as for l instance coils of rolled sheet metal or paper of different diameters in one single engaging step.

With strapping operations of this type it is intended to apply strapping material in one single engaging step successively to coils of rolled sheet metal of different diameters and with horizontal winding axes.

It is known to strap coils of rolled sheet metal in one single engaging step. However, in this connection a drawback consists in the fact that the strap is guided in a guiding passage which is dimensioned for the maximum possible diameter of a sheet metal coil, and that the strap in order to be able to engage the respective package to be strapped, has to be pulled back to a considerable extent depending on the diameter of the package to be strapped. The pulled back portion of the strap will not be pulled back into the supply roll but onto the floor of the mill, i.e. into the working path of the operators. This represents a source of possible accidents because the men can easily trip over the strap portion lying on the floor. Due to the not very orderly accumulation of the excessive pulled back strapping material, the strapping material may buckle, bend or may otherwise be damaged so that a proper guiding of the strap through the guiding passage will no longer be possible. The elimination of such disorders increases the average time required for the strapping operation which time is already longer in view of the necessary pulling back of the strapping material.

Semiautomatically operating strapping devices for packages are known according to which a boom adjustable as to height and cooperating with elements'of the strap guiding means permits the strapping of packages of different sizes. The principle of this device, however, is not advantageously applicable to round packages because the guiding of the strapping material cannot be varied laterally on all sides but only with regard to the length of one side of the approximately rectangular strap guiding passage so that with round packages there is still necessary the pulling back of a considerable length of the strap.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a device for applying strapping material to round packages or the like of different diameters in one single engaging step, in which in each instance only the required length of strapping material is fed for the respective strapping operation. a

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates a side view of a strap guiding device in a strapping installation according to the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a view of the strapping installation of FIG. 1 as seen in the direction of the arrow II of FIG. 1 while the segmental sections occupy the dot-dash line position and no package is being shown.

the strap guiding passage in the rest or starting position thereof, whereupon the strap guiding passage is placed against the outer circumference of the respective package to be provided with the strap so as to follow the 0 curvature of the package, and additional length of strapping material is by means of a strap feeding device fed for completion of the strapping operation and is then in a manner known per se tightened and closed.

It is expedient that the advanced length of the strap is adapted to the circumference of the smallest package to be strapped. The important feature of the device according to the invention for practicing the same as outlined above consists in that a stand has arranged therein a plurality of segmental members respectively journalled unilaterally on a pivot and guided relative to each other by means of strips while being adapted to be controlled by a pressure cylinder. These segmental members are adapted to be nested in each other and are provided with rigid and movable magnetic rollers (FIG. 2).

In order to be able to push the segmental members partially into each other, it is expedient that the movable magnetic rollers which are journalled on resilient levers are adapted to be controlled over a track of the respective lower segmental member. In this connection it is expedient that the movable rollers which are journalled on resilient levers are alternately arranged on the right-hand and the left-hand side plate of the segmental members. To assure a proper guiding of the strap within the guiding means therefor, it is provided that the magnetic rollers are equipped with lateral guiding edges.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 shows a complete installation for applying strapping material of which stand 1 is the essential element. The base frame of stand 1 comprises two lateral plates 2 between which there are provided three segments 3, 4, 5 which are journalled on pivots 6, 7, 8 respectively. These seg- 5 ments 3, 4, 5 are nested within each other in such a way that the segment 3 is located in the lower portion of the segment 4 between the lateral side walls 9 thereof while the segment 4 is located in the lower portion of the segment 5 between the side walls 10 thereof.

The segments 3, 4, 5 are mutually interconnected by positive guiding means which comprise the guiding strips 11 and guiding rollers 12.

Rotatable magnetic rollers 13 are rigidly mounted on the side walls 14 of the segment 3. Such rigidly 5 mounted magnetic rollers are also provided in the segments 4 and 5. With regard to the segments 4 and 5, these segments are additionally equipped with movable mounted magnetic rollers 15. These magnetic rollers.

15 are rotatably journalled on resilient levers 16. The

0 movably journalled magnetic rollers 15, when actuated, are being acted upon by the tracks 17, 18 of the segments 3, 4. The tracks 17, 18 are likewise arranged in the upper rear portion of the segments 3, 4.

The movement of the segments 3, 4, 5 is brought 5 about by a pressure fluid operable cylinder piston systerm 19 which on the one hand is provided between the lateral plates 2 of stand 1 and on the other hand is provided at the lower rear portion of the segment 5. For

3 guiding the strap, the magnetic rollers are provided with guiding rims or edges 13], 151 (FIG. 2).

The operation of the strap guiding device 1 in a complete strap applying installation according to FIG. 2 is as follows: A round package or the like to be strapped and having a horizontal winding, axis, for instance, a bale of paper or a coil of rolled sheet metal with a diameter which may vary from a minimum diameter to a maximum diameter 21, is in any convenient manner by a conveyor belt 22 moved into the strapping installation.

By means of any standard control and transport device or manually, a control panel 23 which is displaceable on a rail in the direction of the arrow 24 and to which is connected the strap guiding device 25 is moved onto the package to be wrapped. The strap 26 is withdrawn from an unwinding carriage 27 which is arranged below the floor. Any standard strap feeding device 28 will then feed the strap 26 by a predetermined length into the stand 1, preferably by a length equalling the possible minimum diameter of a package to be wrapped. The segments 3, 4, 5 are supposed to occupy the dot-dash starting position shown in FIG. 1. This is expedient in order to make sure that the strap 26 will not move between the magnetic rollers 13, 15 which in any other position of the segments might easily be the case. After the strap has been advanced by the predetermined length, the pressure cylinder 19 is actuated which then initiates a movement limited by a limitswitch, and moves the segments 3, 4, 5, for instance, into the position shown in full lines in FIG. 1. When the pressure fluid operable cylinder piston system expands, the segment 5 moves in counterclockwise direction about the pivot point 8 and brings about a corresponding movement of the segments 4 and 3 in the same direction about the pivot points 7 and 6. This movement is brought about by the positive guiding by means of the guiding strips 11 and the guiding rollers 12. In this way the radius of the strap guiding means decreases. This is made possible due to the fact that the segments 3, 4, 5 are nested in each other and that the tracks 17 and 18 in the respective segments 4 and 5 located thereabove immerse the magnetic rollers 15 which are movably mounted on levers 16 as is shown in solid lines in FIG. 1. After this position has been reached, thefeeding of the remaining length of the strap is effected as it is necessary for a complete enclosure with strapping material of the respective package. This feeding movement is controlled by hand or likewise by means of heretofore known control means, such as limit switches.

A commerically available clamping and closing device is suspended on a tension spring system 30 which is displaceable on a profiled rail 29, this clamping and closing device being used for closing the strap.

FIG. 2A illustrates lever means 16 resiliently biased by a spring means S having a central coil portion and opposite end portions therewith. The one end portion S engages against a pin means P and an opposite end portion S" engages against pin means P" as best seen 4 in FIG. 2A. The spring mean S includes the central coil portion C located coaxially around a bolt or stud B relative to which one end of the lever mean 16 has been suitably joumalled.

The advantage of the present invention is seen in particular in the fast and trouble-free application of the strapping material and in the fact that an unnecessary pulling back of the strap is avoided.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention'is, by no means, limited to the particular showing in the drawing but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A device for strapping round packages of various diameters, which includes: a stand, a plurality of segments respectively supported by and pivotally connected to said stand so that each two adjacent segments have portions thereof boxed into each other, fluid operable cylinder piston means interposed between and op-, eratively connected to said stand and one of said segments for pivoting said segments relative to each other, guiding means including strip means and guiding roller means joumalled on said segments so that the first roller means on one segment cooperate with the strip means on the respective adjacent segment so as to guide the same into a position partially closely embracing the package to be strapped, stationarily joumalled first magnetic roller means respectively arranged on said segments, and second magnetic roller means displaceably mounted on at least some of said segments and variable as to their positions by said segments during a pivot movement of said segments relative to each other, said first and second magnetic roller means being operable to guide the strap to be applied to a package around the same.

2. A device according to claim 1, which includes lever means respectively supported by said segments and supporting said second magnetic roller means, and in which the respective segment operable to vary the position of the respective magnetic roller means includes track means for controlling the position of the respective second magnetic roller means cooperating therewith.

3. A device according to claim 2, in which each of said segments has two oppositely located side walls, and in which said lever means pertaining to a segment are alternately connected to one and the other one of the side walls of the pertaining segment.

,4. A device according to claim 1, in which said first and second magnetic roller means are provided with lateral guiding rims for guiding the strap to be applied to the package to be strapped.

5. A device according to claim 1, in which one side of each of said segments in operative position of the latter faces the package to be strapped when the latter occupies its strapping position, said one side being convexly arched when looking from said package toward said segments. 

1. A device for strapping round packages of various diameters, which includes: a stand, a plurality of segments respectively supported by and pivotally connected to said stand so that each two adjacent segments have portions thereof boxed into each other, fluid operable cylinder piston means interposed between and operatively connEcted to said stand and one of said segments for pivoting said segments relative to each other, guiding means including strip means and guiding roller means journalled on said segments so that the first roller means on one segment cooperate with the strip means on the respective adjacent segment so as to guide the same into a position partially closely embracing the package to be strapped, stationarily journalled first magnetic roller means respectively arranged on said segments, and second magnetic roller means displaceably mounted on at least some of said segments and variable as to their positions by said segments during a pivot movement of said segments relative to each other, said first and second magnetic roller means being operable to guide the strap to be applied to a package around the same.
 2. A device according to claim 1, which includes lever means respectively supported by said segments and supporting said second magnetic roller means, and in which the respective segment operable to vary the position of the respective magnetic roller means includes track means for controlling the position of the respective second magnetic roller means cooperating therewith.
 3. A device according to claim 2, in which each of said segments has two oppositely located side walls, and in which said lever means pertaining to a segment are alternately connected to one and the other one of the side walls of the pertaining segment.
 4. A device according to claim 1, in which said first and second magnetic roller means are provided with lateral guiding rims for guiding the strap to be applied to the package to be strapped.
 5. A device according to claim 1, in which one side of each of said segments in operative position of the latter faces the package to be strapped when the latter occupies its strapping position, said one side being convexly arched when looking from said package toward said segments. 